Now in its fourth year, Photo London is officially all grown up with over 100 galleries set to participate at the fair this May, with Canadian fine art photographer Edward Burtynsky announced as its Master of Photography for 2018. Launched last year, the Discovery section serves as a platform for young galleries and emerging image-makers reshaping the photographic medium. Curated for the second time by art consultant and curator Tristan Lund, the 2018 edition of Discovery will feature 22 galleries, where a strong line-up of local and international galleries will take over an expanded, dedicated space.
Here, in his own words, Tristan Lund shares the seven breakthrough artists to watch out for in the Discovery section at Photo London and why...
Lorena Lohr at Cob Gallery, London
Untitled, 2017, by Lorena Lohr. Courtesy of the artist and Cob Gallery
I love the inner world that Lorena Lohr creates in her photographs. Clearly referencing the strong American tradition of wandering street photographer, they exude the bitter sweet romance and mystery of the southern states. Part of the charm to her work is its simplicity, making it look really easy to take these kinds of photographs, which it definitely isn’t!
Senta Simond at Webber Represents, London
Untitled, 2017, by Senta Simond, from the series Rayon Vert, inkjet print, Baryta paper, on aluminium, silver aluminium frame. © Senta Simond/Webber Gallery
Senta Simond’s self-published project Rayon Vert was shortlisted for the Aperture First Book Award in 2017 and has now been published by Kominek Books in Berlin. Simond’s work fits perfectly with the aesthetic of Webber – part agency, part gallery – their artists all have a strong personal practice that influences their commissioned work, making it very hard to see where the line is drawn.
Yusuke Yamatani at Yuka Tsuruno Gallery, Tokyo
Tsugi no yoru e #50, 2010, by Yusuke Yamatani, gelatin silver print. © Yusuke Yamatani. Courtesy of Yuka Tsuruno Gallery
We have been in discussion with Yuka Tsuruno Gallery for two years about participating in Photo London with the work of Yusuke Yamatani. Every project by Yamatani is so different from his next yet each has an energy to it and a sense that he is seeking answers through his art.
Pacifico Silano at Rubber Factory, New York
Mountainscapes, 2018, by Pacifico Silano, archival inkjet print. Courtesy of Rubber Factory
Often the most intriguing photographs hint at a story but don’t tell us everything. The works in Pacifio Silano’s After Silence project are subtly suggestive and give away very little, allowing the viewer to use their own imagination to see beyond the frame.
Shen Wei at ON/Gallery, Beijing
I Miss You Already - New York, 2010, by Shen Wei, C-print. © Shen Wei/ON Gallery
I’m really excited to have our first Chinese gallery in the Discovery section of Photo London. Shen Wei’s portraits are highly stylised to the extent that they could be mistaken for fashion editorial yet feel incredibly intimate and soul searching. His work will be paired with the nudes of Liu Tao.
Marco Maria Zanin at Spazio Nuovo, Rome
Maggese II, 2016, by Marco Maria Zanin, fine art print on cotton paper. © Marco Maria Zanin. Courtesy of Spazio Nuovo, Rome
Marco Maria Zanin showed me his work at a portfolio review in Milan last year and it stayed with me, in particular his ferite/feritoie series which hints at Irving Penn’s still lifes. I am delighted that his gallery, Spazio Nuovo, will present a solo stand of his work at Photo London.
Nikolai Ishchuk at Joanna Bryant and Julian Page, London
Threshold (4), 2017, by Nikolai Ishchuk, silver gelatin prints on expired fiber paper, acrylic, ink, mounting tape, polyurethane, aluminium. © Nikolai Ishchuk. Courtesy of the artist and Joanna Bryant and Julian Page
I’ve been following the work of Nikolai Ishchuk for several years and am delighted that Joanna Bryant and Julian Page will present a solo stand of his Thresholds series. These geometric forms are made in the darkroom with no camera or negative, there is a purity to them that is incredibly tactile and seductive.
Related: Why new photography fairs need to think beyond the booth